Akin
by SootyPhoenix
Summary: Severus helps a young bullied female student and their relationship evolves into much more, Contains Self-harm scenes and swearing. Discontinued
1. A jewel in wood

'Severus' the soft voice called, it sounded as if the owner was upset. The door to his room swung open with the voice and he looked up from thick book which he held in his hands. Severus barely had time to put the book down before the owner of the voice had settled herself against him and buried her face against his robes. Her soft sobs were wracking her skinny frame. Sighing he wrapped his arms around her waist carefully and waited in silence until she had stopped sobbing. After a brief period of silence from the sobs she looked up at Severus knowing that he would be annoyed at her presence. His cold black eyes were fixed on her and she looked up at him innocently.

'Mona that was dangerous, what were you thinking?' He asked her and she was glad that he did not sound as annoyed as she had expected him to but she still looked away biting her bottom lip gently, she knew that she should not have gone to his room but at the time she was not thinking logically, if someone saw her they would both be in big trouble for it and she simply could not risk that for something so stupid. Disappointment started to play in her mind, she had overreacted to some petty comment which she had overheard in the corridors and risked losing the one happiness which she had left for it.

'I know, I'm sorry' she whispered fiddling with a loose strand of brunette hair which had fallen in front of her face in the chaos. 'But can we meet later to talk?' She whined hopefully looking up into his black eyes which for once had a hint of softness in them. He thought for a moment deciding if it would be worth risking a meeting and he nodded hesitantly after the pause.

'But stay away from my office' He growled at her and she giggled before pressing her lips briefly against his and smiling to herself as she withdrew from his. Severus sat for a moment softly stroking her long hair for a moment his mind whirring as he considered things. For a moment she admired the way he looked when he was thinking but eventually she buried herself against his chest again and sat listening to his heart beating 'You have to leave now' He said after a moment hooking his fingers under her chin and lifting her face up to look up at him. Her eyes filled with sadness for a second and she pulled herself onto her feet and away from his warmth. His expression never changed but she knew that he would want her to remain. She traced her way back to the door wishing that she had more of an opportunity to look around the dark room.

'Goodnight, Professor' she called back to him as she reached the door and gave him a wishful look at the professor who had returned his attention to the battered book. As she closed the door Severus eyes flickered up to the door for a moment before focusing his whole attention to the book. Mona shivered as the cold dungeon air hit her and she longed to be back curled up against Severus. After a few seconds she started to walk the complex dungeon her eyes paying close attention to the soothing clicking noise which her heels made as they came into contact with the stone flooring. A faint smile pulled at the corner of her lips as she made her way back to the Slytherin common room and it started to fade as she got nearer. Her eyes scanned the room quickly as she got inside and her body remained tense as she made her way across the room her head held him and her body standing strait and tall as she could manage.

'Tramp' was thrown in her direction as she walked through the common room into the girls dormitory which thankfully was empty. She crawled up onto her bed and sat attempting to forget the world around her and just remember the time which she had to enjoy with Severus. A tapping knocked her out of her daydream and she looked around her suddenly alert but the room was still empty. The tapping continued and eventually her emerald eyes focused on the small black crow tapping at the window. Quickly she jumped up to open the window and the crow flew in cawing in annoyance at her. She watched it until it settled on the end of her bed and she edged over to it fearfully but attempting to appear uncaring. The crow cawed again as she approached and showed the small piece of parchment which had been strapped onto its leg. Mona leaned towards the crow and worked on untying the note carefully and the second it had been released the crow started to peck angrily at her hand which was still nearby and the note dropped onto the ground. Mona swore at the bird which cawed again and Mona was sure that it sounded like it was laughing at her. The crow flew back out of the window and Mona shut it behind him. Her eyes turned back onto the note after a moment of watching the bird fly away and down and she jumped at the female who was standing holding the scrap of paper in her arms. Her lips were twisted into a sneer as she read the elegant handwriting on the note. Mona rushed forward and attempted to grab the note but the other girl managed to keep it away from her.

'Give it back' Mona yelled at the other girl with anger burning her eyes. The other female shook her head but yelped as she was pinned by the throat against the wall behind her and Mona ripped the parchment away from her grip sneering angrily.

'Freak' the girl coughed as she was released and she returned to the common room leaving Mona alone again. Sighing Mona settled herself back onto her bed and drew the curtains around her before warding it so that nobody could disturb her again. Her fingers carefully unravelled the note and frowned at the elegant writing which appeared jumbled and unorganised. After a moment of attempting to work out what it could mean she raised her wand to it and whispered a decoding spell and the letters started to rearrange themselves but she was disappointed at the small amount of writing which had been written.

_Mona,_

_The shrieking shack, Midnight_

_S.S._

Mona ran her fingers along the lettering carefully making sure not to miss any of the lines and sighed as she pulled out a small wooden box which she had kept hidden from other people and she placed the note with other scraps of parchment. Her fingers brushed against a delicate metal chain and she smiled as she pulled the heart pendant free from the papers and watched as it twirled and stray strands of light flickered and bounced across the curtains which surrounded her like a protective barrier. She looked out the window again wishing that they was a way in which she could cause time to go faster so that she could meet with Severus. Sighing she tucked the necklace and box away and warding it so that nobody would be able to get to it without some unpleasant side effects.


	2. Metal Railings

Severus sat against the ground leaning his head against the metal railings which sat rusting in the shrieking shack. He kept himself as still as possible in an attempt to make very little noise as his ears listened carefully for the slightest movement. For a second he wondered if she was... no, the thought was pushed to the back of his mind before it could fully form. He closed his black eyes and listened to the howling wind outside as it battered and hissed at the decaying wood of the shack. After a moment his eyes flickered open again and he began to study the minimal items which decorated the room with dust lying thick on every lip or ledge which was free Briefly the cold pits of his eyes settled on his cloak which was draped over the small wooden table which sat in a corner near the old, heavy door. A rattling sounded just outside and he turned his eyes to the door as it swung open revealing the small girl who stood with her wand clutched hard into the palm of her hand. She was wearing a long black cloak and the edges of her robes could be seen sticking out of the corners of the cloak. Severus smiled at her and stood up gracefully as he stalked over to hug her and she returned the hug eagerly with a smile lighting her face.

'You're late' Severus growled walking back over to the place he was sitting with Mona following him like a trained dog would its master as he tugged her cloak of and dropped it on top of Severus's. His swagger was not as effective without his heavy cloak donning his body but he attempted none the less which cause a giggle from Mona who he glared at quickly.

'Sorry, Mrs. Norris would not leave me alone and Filch nearly caught me' She sighed annoyed at the cat which seemed to be fixed on her whenever she was out and about. They sat down close together and Severus thought for a moment his mind remembering how much of a nuisance that creature had been to him all his life.

'Bloody cat deserved a good kick' He sneered darkly and Mona laughed at the remark wondering about how much more trouble she would get into if she was caught kicking Filch's beloved pet.

'I think he would kill you' she giggled leaning her head up against his shoulder and twisting herself around so that she would be more comfortable. Their hands entwined as they sat in the small room together in silence for a while content to just sit for a while. 'Severus' Mona called out after a while and he turned his head to look at her. 'Talk' she requested and he puzzled over it for a second attempting to work out why she had requested such a thing.

'Why?' He asked after a brief pause and she smiled slightly closing her eyes.

'You have a nice voice' was her response and he smiled at the comment wrapping her arms around her body causing her to rest against his chest. Again Severus thought for a moment considering what he should say, he was never one to speak a lot and nobody had asked him anything like this before.

'What do you want me to say?' He queried allowing his fingers too gently trace along the pale skin of her arm.

'Anything, potion instructions if you must' she stated pulling her hands up so that she could rest her head on them and be more comfortable. Another short thoughtful silence filled the still air as Severus considered the options which he had open to him.

'You will be doing Mandrake Draught in your next lesson so I shall give you an advantage' he said and Mona sat listening to his soft, velvety voice as he began speaking, the sounds reverberated around the room and soon Mona had fallen asleep against the potions master as he continued to talk until he noticed that she was sleeping.

!

Jumping from the biting cold Mona looked around the dusty shack in shock. Her hands clutched around the black blanket which had been placed over her at some point and she smiled slightly at the thoughtfulness of it. After a moment she stood up and folded the blanket up before tucking it securely into a desk drawer. She wondered out of the shrieking shack and back onto Hogwarts ground careful to make sure that nobody could spot her. The sun was high and she gulped as she realised how long she had been sleeping, she was late to her lessons. A faint smile lit her lips as she remembered what lesson she was late for, Potions, and she started to make her way towards the dungeons glad that the corridors were empty so that she could wonder along without anybody distracting and disturbing her. It felt strange to be wondering about when everyone was already in lessons but part of her enjoyed the quiet and peace which surrounded her. She paused as she reached the doors into her lessons and striated her clothes being careful not to appear over do it. Pushing the door open she walked into the room and several people immediately looked up sniggering to each other between comments which passed between them at Mona's presence.

'Nice of you to join us' Severus sneered at her looking up from the grading that he was doing. She smiled weakly at him and made her way over to her desk feeling her confidence and happiness vanishing in an instant as the whispers began to swirl around her. Soon she had managed to catch up with the class and she focused on remembering the instructions which Severus had told her before.


	3. Paradise blues

Mona smiled to herself focusing her thoughts entirely on Severus's silky voice as she stirred the potion being cautious not to over stir it, something which she had no doubt other less focused students would fall into. A shadow fell over her work and she looked up at Severus who stood with his face showing no emotion as he gazed into the bubbling liquid for a moment. Mona suddenly became nervous as she watched for any hint as to how well she was doing on his face but nothing showed. He soon wondered of to examine other cauldrons and she wished that he could ignore the other students and solely pay attention to her.

'Miss Doveham that is not correct way to extract the insides of a fireburn slug' Severus snapped at a student and Mona jumped at the voice so close to her her nearly knocking her potion onto the floor, something which she knew would be nearly impossible to clean from the rough stone. She twisted herself around to look at the girl who had been told of, who was glaring daggers into Severus as he walked away to inspect the other works in the classroom, Mona almost giggled at the bravery which overtook people the second Severus turned his back on them yet they never daren't say a thing to his face. As the girl turned back from Severus to her work she caught Mona looking at her a smug expression pasted against her face.

'What you looking at you filthy git?' She hissed at Mona whose face immediately dropped as she turned back to the cauldron attempting to ignore the cruel girl's comments. She could feel the drops of water welling in her eyes as she tried desperately to block the emotions which threatened to overwhelm her. Severus had turned around at the comment and stood waiting for the next spark to be lit in the shed full of flammable fuels, knowing full well that it would be unavoidable. 'little bitch' she hissed after a moment and Mona turned around making a point of knocking the other girls potion from its stand and onto the cold, stone floor where it sizzled spitting angrily at those nearby like a cat disturbed from its slumber, the classroom lapped into silent and everyone stood waiting for the next remark to be thrown.

'Not like you can talk, Julie, All you do is bitch' Mona hissed her fists clenched by her side as she tried desperately to avoid hitting the girl standing in front of her, although she was desperate to be able to. Severus hesitated for a second, he had no desire to get Mona in trouble as he knew well what she was feeling at that moment but her thoughts were broadcast loud and clear across the room and he knew that he must stop any violence before it starts, it was his duty as a teacher.

'Doveham, Walker silence' He sneered walking between them so that nothing could happen, his cloak snapped behind him as he stepped between the girls and Mona looked up at him her thoughts clearing slightly as she started to become slightly calmer although her unease still showed highly. 'You will both serve detentions later this evening, Doveham with your head of house, Walker with me' He sneered and returned to the desk at the front of the desk as the classroom slowly returned to normal although Mona and Julie glared at each other in annoyance before returning to their work, Julie had little left to attend to since it had been knocked from the stand. Snape glanced at Mona after a few moments to check her reaction but she refused to meet his eyes when he attempted to meet hers, she could play stubborn sometimes and he knew she would be. He was somewhat glad for the bell to signify the end of lessons and most of the students rushed out of the dungeons, eager to escape from the dreary classroom and his haunting eye. He watched Mona as she slowly backed her bag, normal behaviour as she tried to avoid the crowds.

'Mona' Severus called and she jumped dropping the quill which she had held onto the stone floor. As she stooped down to pick it up, she looked up at Severus who moved from his desk and walked past her. Mona hesitated for a moment uncertain but it was clear he expected her to follow. She hastily grabbed her bag and followed him out of the classroom and down a corridor which she had yet to explore; she enjoyed exploring the twisting corridors. He paused besides a statue and tapped the shoulder with the tip of his wand whispering a few words. The statue moved to reveal a passageway and Mona smiled at Severus thankful that he was willing to help her although she had yet to find were the passage lead. He left her to explore the dust ridden corridor and returned to his classroom. Mona watched him for a moment studying the graceful way which he moved, like a swan dancing on top of the glittering water. Eventually she turned to follow the corridor.


	4. Ugly, white lines

'Professor?' The soft voice called as the heavy oak doors swung open and Mona looked around the classroom which she found surprisingly silence and empty. She stood for a few moments looking around the room her eyes resting on the bottles which were slotted against the wall in some order which she could not define no matter how long or hard she thought about it. After standing around for a while she decided to leave and look for Severus, careful to close the door behind her she edged out of the room. Her soft footsteps echoed lightly around the corridors as she traced her way along the dreary dungeons towards her goal, were she hoped to find Severus alone. She stood outside of his office for a moment uncertain of if she was expected to knock or simply walk in and in the end she choose to knock. Her light knocks seemed to shake the door and she waited for a responce and a part of her wondered if she should be standing outside the Professors private quarters, after all if the headmaster or another teacher wondered along then they would question her as to her presence.

'Come in' Severus called with his voice silky after a briefly pause and Mona sighed with relief, glad that she was not interrupting him or have to stand outside his room for any longer. Mona pushed the heavy door open and walked into the room stopping to drop her bag by the door and smiling warmly at the professor who sat gently swirling the glass of red wine which he held in his hand, a faint smile was embroidered on his lips and Mona wondered what the effect of intoxicants was on the reserved professor, she vowed to find out at some point. Mona stepped forwards towards him mildly unsure of how she was expected to behave. She hesitated as she attempted to collect her thoughts.

'I'm sorry about what happened' she stated after walking over and standing near Severus who did not respond to her words immediately but looked at her listening for as long as he felt that he would be needed to. 'I was ignoring her but...' She trailed of feeling the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes and he places the wine glass against the wooden table which rested besides the deep blue plush chair which he was perching on. He was never expected to understand what to do with someone when emotions ran thick as he rarely showed them but he was good at empathising with other people.

'Don't worry' he said standing up and pecking her on the cheek before waltzing over to the cabinet and pouring another drink, a non-alcoholic one for Mona. As he turned around he glared at Mona who had settled herself into the seat which he had previously been resting on. She giggled at his glare which tucking her legs underneath her body as he stepped closer and placed the drink next to his o the table. 'Stop giggling like a child, my reputation is important to me and you should not be diminishing it' He sneered pulling her onto her feet and sitting back down on the chair although he allowed her to perch herself on his lap as a compromise.

'You only have it because the other students are scared of you' she said resting her head against his chest as his arm encircles her waist, after a moment she reached forward and sipped at the drink which Severus had poured for her before returning it to its place, careful not to put it in even a slightly different place, she was a neat freak and often worried if things which she had touched were in the wrong place.

'And your not?'

'You have always been nice to me' She stated simply tugging at the edges of robe sleeves so that they moved to reveal his arm and with it many thin, pale lines of scars which crisscrossed his arm in some of the way up. Her fingers traced one of the lines and then another and he flinched away from the contact against his flesh, something which he was still unused to, but he kept himself as still as possible not wishing to disturb Mona. It amazed him that she found the ugly white lines so interesting but he knew she had several which matched his on her own arm and he suspected that it was due to these that she wanted to know the effects which they held. 'You never told me, how long have you had these?' she asked after a moment and he moved a loose strand of hair from her face with his free hand as he considered the answer.

'your age, younger I think' He stated frowning at the memories and attempting to place them into the correct timeframe, it felt unusual to talk about his past ever to a minor degree as he worked so hard to keep it hidden from everyone he met but it felt somehow nice to be able to show someone his history and know that they will not run away in fear, disgust or shock. 'What do you parents say about them' He asked moving away from her fingers and twisting her wrist around to reveal her marks to the cold air.

'I don't have a mother, she died in childbirth and my father blames me for my mother's death, he gets drunk a lot and never pays attention to me' she shrugged covering the marks as she was speaking, she felt uncomfortable having them on show to others although she trusted Severus.

'My father drank a lot, he hated that me and my mother were magical, forbade any magic in the house' Severus said after a moment allowing his fingers to trace small intrigued patterns into the small amount of exposed flesh on her body. Severus felt sorry for Mona, something which he had not felt for another in as long as he could remember. The silence which filled the room was not uncomfortable as it was with most situations but somehow warm and happy.


	5. Books and book and more books

Mona sighed as she leant against the window her eyes focused on the white spots which fluttered from the sky shining as the light hit each piece until it reached the grounds and the mounting snow which decorated it. Her hands clutched around a tattered scrap of parchment holding it tight against the biting wind which reached its chilly fingers around the window panes to grab at and pull away the parchment. After a while of watching the snow fall to the ground she turned away from the window and walked towards the small wooden table. She scribbled on the parchment;

_Snape,_

_Its boring waiting for you, the snow outside is pretty though._

_Mona._

She waited watching the words for a moment and they started to shift and move around to form a new sentence much to her delight.

_Mona,_

_No, don't bother me it is an important meeting, It will be over soon enough, and shouldn't you be in bed? _It is after hours.

S.S.

She smiled at his comment, it was normal for him to be focused on the rules although she wished that he would be less strict about them towards her. She traced the delicate letting for a moment thinking about what she could reply to him with. She jumped as the letters once again started to shift and change as several of them faded into the parchment which was singed along the edges.

_Meeting is finished._

She smiled and grabbed her bag before making her way down to the dungeons skipping slightly as she walked. She paused suddenly as she spotted a shadow moving across the wall and pressed herself against the walls in an attempt to make herself as small as possible, which was not very difficult as she was small anyway. The shadow prowled past showing itself as a grey tabby cat which stopped besides her and began to hiss angrily.

'Go away Mrs Norris' Mona hissed in reply and she panicked as footsteps started to move towards her.

'stupid cat' a familiar voice growled and Mona smiled at it before stepping out from her hiding place. She smiling brightly at Snape and a faint flicker of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips but he quickly hid it, returning his face to the usual emotionless express he bore.

'Out after curfew, Miss? Follow me' He sneered and she nodded attempting to hide the smile which played across her lips and instead she settled for looking down so that her hair covered her face. The candles in the room flickered on as the two entered casting long shadows onto the rows and rows of books which lined the walls. It was these books which captured Mona's attention first and she immediately wondered over to a row which sat close to a large wood desk. Her fingers ran along the spines as she read the words, stopping as she reached a gap between books. She looked back towards the table were an open book lay besides a hand held mirror which gleamed in the light. Snape watched her in silence as she placed a bookmark between the pages ad slotted the book back into place. The rising dust caused her to cough and step away from the shelves.

'How do you have so many books?' She asked looking around the room at the thousands of books which were being displayed.

'Time' Snape answered simply taking of his heavy robe and hooking it besides the door before settling himself in a large cushioned chair which sat facing the fireplace. Mona moved towards him and her hands fell onto the small table which contained another open book. Sighing Mona tore a scrap of paper and marked the page before looking around in a vain attempt to find were it belonged. 'They are dozens of open books around, you can't put them all away' Snape laughed studying her actions with amusement .

'I can try' She sneered, something which she never knew how to do until she had met Snape. Eventually she gave up and settled herself on the free chair with annoyance clearly etched onto her features. For a while they sat content to watch the flames flicker and dance and talk long into the night. A loud crash suddenly disturbed them causing both of them to jump. A tapping soon followed and Snape stood up before waltzing toward the window with a sneer on his face. He whispered a few words and the window swung open allowing an owl to poke its head through the curtains. It hooted softly before walking inside and shacking of the snow which covered its body and wings. Mona watched as he took the letter and gave the bird a treat. It fascinated her how he could appear so harsh to other people yet he was the sweetest to animals, and her.

'Mona' He whispered after reading through the letter a few times and she stood up before walking towards him in the hopes of getting a glimpse at it. He folded the paper before she could reach it and allowed flames to envelope and destroy it. 'You should go'

'Why?' She asked her voice starting to shake with fear, the atmosphere around them was no longer kind or friendly.

'Now' He sneered turning towards her with all hint of softness vanishing from him.

'But-'

'Now!' He snarled and she stepped back uncertainly before turning to flee the room wondering what could cause such a change in behaviour. Her feet tapped against the cold, stone floor as she ran but she did not stop, she continued to run out of the castle, onto the ground and further until she had long since lost herself in the forest which surrounded the school. Eventually she collapsed, her lungs felt like they were burning and fear had started to twist itself deep into her mind.


	6. The letter

Mona refused to look up from her work as she felt black hawk eyes piercing into her, she felt slightly faint from the heat of the cauldron but she ignored the feeling, she wanted to appear strong and confident. She focused on her movements, measuring each turn, each slight movement carefully as if she was dealing with a bomb. After a while she felt the mass behind her move on and she felt almost glad of it but at the same time she missed having him close, having his scent and presence so invading her. Relaxing she dared a glance in his direction, something was different about him, she could not decide what it was just... something. Something huge and she cursed herself for not being able to indentify it. Her thoughts flickered briefly back to the last few days, and more importantly his absence. It worried her that he would disappear for so long and more so because he had not even tried to explain it, only force her away from his room beforehand, what was that note? She stood for a moment considering things, turning them over in her mind but she moved her gaze as Severus looked towards her, she did not want to be caught staring at the potions professor. A quick glimpse at the watch told her that it was time to finish and she quickly tidied the desk and equipment away. Things had changed, and she felt the air shift with it. She felt almost scared to remain, scared that he would push her away again.

'Class dismissed' His voice called out over the class, his voice was almost weak, more tired than normal and Mona added that to the list of things wrong with him, the list of things she had to worry about. The class rushed to escape from the dreary clutches of the dungeon and the potion master however Mona lingered for a moment, not an unusual occurrence, watching her professor with uncertainty, she could not decide if he would want her to remain or leave and she was hoping that he would give her some indication of what he wanted her to do. After a moment she turned away with a saddened expression on her face, if he was not going to explain anything to her than she had no point in hanging around. 'I'm sorry' She paused and turned herself half around to the professor, he looked... helpless. She hesitated, deciding what to do. Slowly she turned back around to look at Severus, she could not resist a faint smile showing on her lips as she realized that he did not want her to leave and Severus returned it for a moment before correcting himself, something which was slowly becoming common and Mona could not help but feel her heart flutter at the half smile he gave only to her. He walked slowly towards her his heavy cloak swaying and snapping as he walked, it was then that she noticed the slight limp he carried, marginal, almost unnoticeable but she saw it and it worried her immensely. She looked up to his face and noticed his recognition, her thoughts where like an open book around him and she couldn't hide anything which was at times a blessing and others a hindrance. 'I am sorry, but the less you know the better' he whispered as his arms wrapped around her, she missed the warmth and comfort which he provided and was glad to be back in his arms again, she felt secure in his arms like she did not anywhere else. She sighed, she knew something was wrong and she trusted his judgement but she had to know, she had to find out what was going on, what had hurt him. Severus snorted and she looked up at him with curiosity burning her eyes but he ignored the question they posed to capture her lips with his for a moment. They both had missed the others company greatly in the few days they were forced apart. For a moment they stayed together, entwined with her head against his chest. She closed her eyes and blocked out all outside thoughts. After a moment of standing Severus pulled her over to the chair and desk and perched her on his lap. She smiled more and leaned her head against his shoulder as he absentmindedly played with loose strands of her hair.

'I must go' She sighed eventually with a longing in her voice as she stood up and the smile on his lips disappearing at the lack of warmth and comfort. Severus nodded and walked back to his desk as she headed towards the large oak doors. She stopped at the door to smile warmly at him for a moment before stepping outside into the cold dungeons. Once outside she sighed and allowed the thoughts to start flowing through her mind again, she missed the ability to clear her mind like she could around him. She pondered what she was going to do, she trusted him more than anything but she knew they was something huge looming over them, something she had to find out even if he would not tell her. Her fingers started to trace the thin scars on her arms absentmindedly, a habit she knew she must break. Slowly she walked through the dungeons twisting and turning around the corridors. Her mind twisted with problems searching desperately for a solution and eventually her mind stumbled on what would be the one piece of stable evidence, one thing which could tell her. She had to find the letter, she had to know.


	7. Comfort

The room was completely silence aside from the rustling of papers. Mona stood at the large oak desk with her fingers pulling at any scrap of paper she could find. Annoyance slowly crept in as the specific paper she looked for evaded her search. Sighing she paused and looked around the room, she longed to go investigate the books, to read and immerse herself in another world entirely but she restrained herself, she could not be found in his room. After a moment she returned to searching the desk in vain, if it was that important then he would never have left it undestroyed, her mind taunted and she bit her bottom lip in annoyance. Giving up her hand slammed against the table causing the book perched on the edge of the table to plummet to the ground and land with a heavy thud and the pages spread out against the cold, stone floor. How many times had she told him not to leave books on edge of the table? She grumbled reaching down to grab the spine but her eyes stopped a sheet of paper which had slipped from the pages. She stared at the paper for a moment its crisp whiteness contrasting with the grey stones of the floor and the black ink stood proudly against the snow white. A bookmark? She snorted of course he would have used it as a bookmark; any scrap of paper gets turned into a bookmark around him. She grabbed the letter and opened it up to read the elegant writing; it was almost as pretty as Severus's, but not quite. Her eyes stared at the paper in confusion, it was not written in English and she pondered for a moment, she could not understand any other language, what was she to do? A thud sounded through the room and she jumped hastily pocketing the parchment. Her eyes flickered to the book and she pondered replacing it, no he would notice the missing parchment, let him think it slipped off and floated away. Metal against metal, a lock and key? Voices. She gulped in panic trying to think what to do and she darted inside a nearby cupboard as the door opened. Through a crack in the door she watched the room and its new occupants. Severus and... and who was that? Someone familiar but unfamiliar. The other male was tall with long, strait blond hair. He carried a cane with a silver snakes head perched on top. She recognized him, almost.

'Come now Severus, you can't miss our meeting we have a young mudblood, a girl, for use' Mona bit her lips at the words, it was obvious this man was a pureblood but why would he be inviting Severus to abuse a muggle born? The smileon the other man's face at the thought made Mona's skin crawl and she wondered why Severus would consort with someone so cruel.

'I wish I could but I have duties to attend to in school, we do not want people thinking something is up now, do we?' Severus said his voice void of any emotion and his face was stern.

'No I suppose not, shame, it will be entertaining' the other man drawled before twisting around and waltzing and the door. Severus stood for a while after the man had left just staring at the door his shoulder held up but eventually he sighed and allowed his posture to drop with tiredness and defeat. Mona leened forward to get a better look and the door swung open with a loud slap which caused both her and Severus to jump.

'Oops' Mona whispered as Severus turned his cold, lack eyes to her with anger showing on his face. It softened slightly when he spotted who it was and he stepped towards the cupboard to help her out.

'Mona, what are you doing?' he questioned annoyance clear in his voice.

'I just- I was waiting for you and heard voices and... I panicked' she lied looked down at the floor her hand still clutched around the parchment hidden in her pocket. Severus looked at her with a worried expression for a moment but dragged her towards the desk and sat himself down so that he was at eye level with her.

'What did you hear?' He demanded his grip tightening slightly on her wrist.

'Just- is he really going to hurt that girl?' She asked looking into his eyes with sadness in hers. He hesitated for a moment considering things, should he lie? Her eyes continued to bore into his as he considered things, she was fragile, yes, but she was not stupid.

'Yes' He stated and she frowned.

'Why?'

'He... he belongs to a bad organisation, they like to hurt people' he whispered his voice low and dangerous and her she looked puzzled for a moment as he waiting, waited for the inevitable. He knew she had heard him being invited and he waited for her to scream and run away, maybe it would be for the best if she stayed away from him. His grip loosened to give her the chance to escape.

'Why did he invite you?' Why she was not scared? Why did she not show any signs of fear?

'He thinks... I'm part of it' he whispered after thinking it through, as much as he wanted her away, as much as he wanted to scare her so that she would not be in danger part of him wanted desperately for her to linger, to be by his side.

'but you're not, you're a good guy, I know it' She insisted pushing forward and wrapping her hands around his shoulder to pull him into a hug. A faint smile played on his lips. He never deserved someone as kind as her, as understanding. His arms wrapped around her waist and they remained in each other's arms for a while, contend to enjoy each other's company regardless of how fleeting it mat be.


	8. Embers

'Severus, do you know a spell to decode foreign languages?' Mona asked and Severus looked at her with confusion imbedded into her eyes. She looked up at him for a second showing no fear although inside she felt herself trembling at the chance he would work it out.

'Why would you need that, precious?' Mona shrugged and leaned back against his strong chest enjoying the warmth he offered. She knew it was risky asking him but she did not know who else to ask. 'I do as it happens' he stated before placing a light kiss on her exposes flesh. She giggled at the sensation which caused him to glare at her with his deep black eyes.

'Could you teach me?' Mona asked fluttering her eyelashes innocently at him and he could not resist but let a small smile slip from his lips. Her hands moved towards his chest and she leaned against him feeling happiness bubble inside her despite the trembling which accompanied it.

'I can' he said stressing the second word and Mona rolled her eyes at him but a smile still stayed on her lips at his stubbornness. It was almost cute that he was so determined to get her to say things properly when she did not normally. She kissed him briefly on the lips.

'Would you?' She asked fiddling with the fabric of his shirt and fluttering her eyelashes at him again.

'If you wish' he murmured wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close against him. 'What is it you want to translate?' He questioned. Mona gulped and considered things for a moment twisting and turning everything over in her mind like the cogs in a watch.

'It's not important' she laughed nervously burrowing herself against him so that her face was hidden from his hawk like eyes. Severus regarded her for a moment his face dropping as he thought carefully, he was not sure if he should push the issue or not. After a moment of consideration he decided that it was not worth pushing the issue.

'They is a book with it in on my desk, the red one' he whispered allowing his fingers trace detailed patterns into her skin and they lay together for a while in silence. After many minutes he checked on her to find that she had fallen asleep in his arms, her breathing was soft and gentle and he smiled down at her sleeping form with happiness imbedded in his face for the first time in ages. For a while he was content to watch her sleeping but eventually he sighed and shook her until she stirred with a moan. A faint smile was on her lips as she woke although her eyes remained shut tightly and for a moment Severus wondered if she was still asleep or not.

'Mona' Severus called and she half opened her right eye to look at him. 'Wake up, you have to get back to your dormitory' He sighed dragging her into a sitting position.

'Oh' she replied with tiredness in her voice. Eventually she was roused enough to stand up and she left the room with a goodbye kiss still burning on her lips and her arms wrapped around a red book. She was glad that she would not have to make up some story about why needed the spell but at the same times she was looking forward to him teaching her. It was almost disappointing that he did not need to. Her fingers traced the spine of the book as she walked being careful to keep her footsteps silent as she wondered to darkened corridors of the school. Eventually she managed to find her way back to her dorm room and she settled herself down on the large plush sofa. The book was open on the table and the parchment besides it as she read through the pages. Her lips moved slightly as she read and memorized the words.

_Severus,_

_ A meeting has been arranged for tonight and next week at midnight, you do not want to miss them. He is expecting you; if you're late then you shall be our entertainment for the evening. I shall visit you in a hour to discuss in private, open a bottle of wine._

_L._

Mona read the few words over and over again; he was going to another meeting tomorrow night with L, who was L? Her thoughts flickered back to the guy she had met previously, the guy who belonged to an evil organisation. She gulped, this meant that he was going to get hurt again; she just knew it, like it was a deity speaking to her. In a blind fury she crumpled the parchment in her hand and hurled it into the flickering flames which twisted around it, pulling the fibres' apart and burning the ink till it dripped like black blood. The flames cracked as they burnt and she watched it for a moment feelingl the tears start to form in the corner of her eyes as the idea of him going out to get hurt began to tear at her soul; it was almost unbearable for her to think about. She laid her head upon her arms which rested on the wooden table as the sobs began to wreck her body. She knew that she had to do something; she had to find a way to stop him, to protect him. For a moment she wondered if he would be willing to take her with him but the idea was almost laughable, if he was not going to tell her the first time then he certainly would not take her. For a moment the idea that he cared to much about her to place her in danger flickered across her mind but she pushed it aside with force and determination, she did not wish to be hopeful of such things in case they proved false, she was almost sure he cared for her as much as she did him but a flicker of doubt prevented her from surrendering completely to the idea. After the tears had stopped she sat watching the flames consume what once was parchment and thinking, deciding. Her fingers moved to trace the faint scars on her arm as she considered things. She was going, she knew he would hate it but she was going, she was going to see, she was going to help him and nothing was going to stop her.


	9. Scent

Mona had always been able to move around unnoticed and she imagined that the Potter boy would not miss the cloak of invisibility if she borrowed it for only a brief stint, she had to know what was going on. She remembered hearing Potter and his friends whispering something about it in the silence of the library. They didn't know she was there and certainly did not know she was listening in. It was surprising how easily she had managed to grab it, for someone who was suppose to save the world he was unusual inept. Once she had obtained it she took some time to make sure that she would be hidden, her small shape seemed to help for once and eventually she managed to work out how to walk so that it didn't uncover her although occasionally it would shift and move slightly. She descended the steps slowly and constantly looked around half expecting someone to appear. Normally if she got in trouble Severus would back her up and get her out but she knew she couldn't rely on his this time. Luckily Filtch was nowhere to be seen and she slipped into the dungeon until the door to Severus's office came into view and she crept forwards to wait outside. Her timing was, as always, impeccable and only moments later the dark professor walking out of the door and into the hallway. Her body tensed slightly as he hesitated and silence crept around them. He stood still just outside his room, looking at nothing.

'Mona' He sighed after a few moments of standing completely still and she jumped as he heard his silky voice echoing around the dungeon corridor. She backed herself against the stone wall carefully checking the cloak still covered her. Perhaps if she didn't respond he would believe he was mistaken and continue as normal. 'Mona, I know your there' He growled turning to to fix his black eyes on her. They should have been menacing, scary even.

'Hi' she squeaked timidly pulling the cloak from her with a faint blush creeping against her cheeks. How did he see her? His dark eyes looked down at her with disappointment flashing brightly. Her eyes flickered away uncertainly. Her plan was infallible provided she did not make a noise but... did she make some noise? She puzzled over the situation in her mind, ignoring the professor who stood in front of him.

'Where did you get that?' he queried gently touching the smooth fabric of the invisibility cloak. The harsh look had vanished from his face completely now but Mona felt more unconfortable with the sad look he was now giving her.

'I borrowed it... from a friend' Mona choked refusing to meet his intense, piercing gaze. He 'hmmed' uncertainly as he looked down at her and after a moment she managed to dare a glance up at him.

'What am I going to do with you?' He mused out loud with a sigh. His fingers pulled at a loose strand of her hair, shifting it from her face.

'We are going to go back to your room and stay away from dangerous men' She whispered almost pleadingly as she leaned into his touch. Severus chuckled in response his face warming slightly for a second before returning to its stony glare.

'I have to' He murmured sadly while moving his fingers gently down her cheek. 'I'll be back soon' He continued placing a gentle kiss against her forehead.

'Sev' She whispered, stepping forwards slightly and threading their fingers together. Her eyes were sad as they stared up with her, almost desperate. He faltered for a moment looking down at her. After a moment he pulled his fingers away from hers with a sigh.

'I will be back before the night is over, if you must wait for me in my room.' He purred placing a kiss against her forehead and turning to continue down the corridor. Mona opened her mouth to protest but he had already disappeared around the corner with his long, black cape swishing behind him. A sigh escaped her lips instead and she turned to walk into his room. She listened to the silence in the room, broken only by her breathing and the dull thud of the door behind her closing. Her eyes scanned the room taking in the book which had been placed besides what she knew to be his reading chair. She sighed in annoyance as she observer how he left the book open and face down, it irked her that he could ruin the spine in such a way. Her feet carried her over to the book and she returned it to a more respectful position, making sure to mark the page with a scrap of paper. Scanning the title she ran her fingers along the silvery lettering with tender care. Another glance was thrown around the room followed by a sigh. Mona had no idea where to place herself in the small, cosy living room. Eventually she wondered away from the main room and through the slightly open doorway. Her eyes scanned the room and remained on the large bed which dominated the majority of the room.

'Sev...' Mona sighed running her hands through her hair in annoyance, it was typical of him wondering of without telling her why but for some reason she doubted his promise this time. Slowly she crept over to the covers and ran her hands against them, enjoying the feel of the fabric against her flesh. Eventually she sat herself down on the bed, terrified that she would somehow ruin the indent Severus's body had formed in the mattress. After a moment she allowed herself to collapse against the sheets, surrounding herself in the lingering scent which now surrounded her body.


	10. Daydreams at night

Mona slowly woke from her sleep and blinked against her blurred vision to recognise the faintly familiar environment she was in, it took her a moment to deduct her location but her memory started to reform as she inhaled the deep scent of wood and spices which surrounded her. It smelled familiar, comforting. A faint smile flickered on her lips at the sense of safety that the scent created, it made her feel comfortable and she couldn't prevent the smile now plastered on her face. After a few more moments of blissful ignorance she remembered why she had settled down on Severus's bed and jumped up to scan the room more thoroughly but to her displeasure it was absence of her Potion's Master. Nervously she pulled her legs up to her body and sighed in annoyance, the covers collapsing against the mattress around her, forming an isolating barrier against the rest of the world and the faint chill that had started to creep into the room. Now she was unsure of what to do, he had promised her that he would be back and the bright light streaming through the window was a painful reminded that he had failed to fulfil his promise to her, she fiddled with the strands of hair which fell in front of her face and sat, attempting to stay still but finding herself unable. With a sigh she stood, albeit somewhat shakily, she hated sitting in one place forever and began to pace the room. Her eyes studied the plain objects that spanned the room until they dropped onto a small black book which sat on top of his table. Edging towards it her fingers stretched out in front of her, as if to grab it. When she reached it she gently ran her fingers along the side, enjoying the texture of the cover, it was leather and she appreciated the quality that Severus demanded. After a few moments she flipped the first page open and started to read the elegant writing, her lips moving softly as she read, her hand pulled out the chair and she sat down, the book finding its way back to the table. Her fingers carefully turned the pages, enjoying the soft noise as it shifted under her fingers, for a moment her mind wandered through the pages, oblivious to the world around her, so absorbed in the world she found herself in that she didn't hear any movement going on around. The words lulled her into a new world, somewhere she wasn't abandoned in the middle of the night.

'Mona' a silky voice called in her ear seductively, she jumped and the copied her actions, falling to land heavily upon her hand=. She heard a chuckle behind her during these events but she still leapt up as normal.

'SEVERUS' she almost shrieked, practically launching herself at his neck, her arms wrapping tightly around him as she buried himself against his chest, happy to be evoked in his warmth. The book, having been knocked by the overexcited girl, jumped with her landing roughly on the floor, its spine exposed to the air and the pages folding against the stone floor. Severus winched as he caught her and he set her down on the floor quickly, masking the pain which ricocheted through his body from the sudden impact. 'Took you long enough' She huffed when her feet reached the ground but her eyes and wide smile betrayed how pleased she was that he had returned. Hers hands fell from his neck and twisted into his fingers.

'I'm sorry' he drawled his voice heavy with tiredness; his eyes had black rings imprinted under them. 'I got called away' he offered by way of response before collapsing onto the bed, although he remained in the sitting position, his long, black cape billowing out around him and laid on the bed like another cover. Mona settled herself besides him immediately, curling against him with curiosity imbedded on her features, her eyes studying him.

'Are you okay?' she asked, her concern betrayed by her voice. Severus sighed and lay back against the bed, shutting his eyes as he did so and blocking out the overly bright light which streamed through the window as if the walls themselves did not exist. 'You can't sleep, it's nearly breakfast time. Why is it so bright in here anyway?' Mona asked looking down at him, her attention span waning slightly as the unusual brightness distracted her. She folded her legs under her body and stared out of the window into the light. 'Aren't we underground?' she whispered, although she knew that he would hear.

'And you shouldn't be in my room, but yet here we are' He whispered, his lips twisting up slightly in a smile as he spoke, his dark eyes opening to look at her for a moment before shutting again. Mona also smiled at his comment before following in lying down, her fingers traced along the soft fabric of the bedding, enjoy the feel of it as it ran through her fingers, something she could not have done the night before out of stress and panic. She loved the texture of it, although she did not recognise it. 'It is bright because it is charmed to do so.' He slurred opening his eyes to study her carefully, she looked at the ceiling, her hair sprayed out around her like a sheet and he smirked. 'Why did you wait for me?' he questioned twining their fingers together as they lay, his black eyes staring at her nimble fingers. She shrugged, albeit with some effort before pressing herself against his shoulder with a delighted sigh.

'you said you would be in'

'Sorry' he whispered again running a finger across her jaw line affectionately. 'You have to go now' he sighed sitting up again and letting go of her hand. Mona sighed as well and followed suit, the fabric of the bedding still grasped in her hand.

'And if I refuse?' She teased with a smirk, letting the fabric slide through her fingers. Severus smirked back and placed a gentle kiss upon her lips.

'go' he commanded, she looked crestfallen as she stared up at his, her brow had developed a crease as she thought.

'They are hurting you, Severus; you need to stop going to see them'

'I was hoping you wouldn't notice.' He half smiled at her, his black eyes mimicking her sadness. He didn't want her to know of any of this, but it couldn't be helped.

'Good day, Professor' she whispered as she walked out the room, she threw a last glance at him as the door shut and she was outside in the cold dungeon air. She stood for a moment enjoying the cold before continuing to the main hall, to breakfast.


End file.
